We have a bit of a hummus obsession in our home and this 5 Minute Roasted Red Pepper Hummus recipe is part of that addiction.
My daughter jokes that she’ll dip ANYTHING in hummus because she loves it so much – especially roasted red pepper hummus. And I must admit, she has put together some crazy combinations. Many of which did not go over well – such as her idea that a cupcake would taste “fabulous” dipped in hummus. But hey, if she wants to spread some healthy hummus spread on that sweet treat I am not about to stop her from trying it out.
Hummus tastes great as a dip, spread on a sandwich or even used to make a delicious salad dressing. No matter how us spread it, hummus is really the ultimate healthy snack to keep in the fridge – full of fiber, protein and heart-healthy fats.
Our love for hummus led me to start experimenting with making hummus at home. It’s actually much easier to make than I thought it would be. Since roasted red pepper hummus is our favorite, I thought it was the perfect place to start.
The base of hummus is pretty typical – chickpea/garbanzo beans and tahini. Tahini is a sesame paste that can be found at your grocery store or other specialty stores such as Old World Market. If you have a hard time finding tahini in your area, you can order it online at Amazon or try a substitute. Although I have never tried these options, I have seen recipes the suggest using sunbutter or even natural peanut putter (only peanuts, oil and salt) as an alternative to tahini.
After messing around in the kitchen I have found the perfect combination of ingredients that result in an amazing creamy roasted red pepper hummus. To save time, I chose to use jarred roasted red peppers but you can certainly roast your own. And then the two all-important ingredients that take this hummus over the top – cayenne and smoked paprika. So go grab your food processor and let’s get started. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Inspired Taste.
- ¾ cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped (2 whole red peppers if roasting your own)
- 1 can (15 ounce) chickpeas, a.k.a. garbanzo beans - drained & rinsed
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1-1½ garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Place the tahini and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and combine for about 1 minute until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl then turn on for another 30 seconds. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a heavy-duty blender following the same process.
- Add olive oil, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. Blend for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides and blend for another 30 seconds.
- Add half of the chickpea to the food processor and blend for about 1 minute. Scrape down side of bowl and add the remaining chickpeas. Blend for another 1 minute.
- Add the roasted red peppers and combine in food processor for about 2 minutes. If the hummus seems too thick just slowly add 1-2 tablespoons of water until you like the consistency.
- Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Scrape hummus into a serving bowl and enjoy!
